Surpressed Flames

I have read a lot on Tibet's struggle with China, and was inspired to do a story on the issue.

Countless oppressive dictators rule countless submissive countries. Hu Jintao, however, does not. He rules Tibet. Tibet has not been silenced by China, but protests violently. Tibet should be granted its independence from China. During the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibet, fled to India to save his life. There, he established the Government of Tibet in Exile. This government claims that Tibet was forcefully taken over by China in 1950. Over 1.2 million Tibetans have died as a result of the Chinese invasion. The Chinese used crude methods to execute their prisoners. 28% of captured Tibetans died of starvation and 14% died of torture in prisons. Arrest warrants are rarely, if ever, issued. In July 1988, Qiao Shi, China’s security chief said that China would practice “merciless repression” of all demonstrations in Tibet. Not only is there a crackdown on Tibet’s protests, China also exhibits violation of human rights. Evidence supports that China has breached normal civilized conduct as in international law books. Such a blatant display of barbarism is, frankly, disgusting. It contradicts every moral principal embedded in a human being. Without this basic morality, human beings are little more than evolved monkeys. Force may be needed at times, but nothing should ever compromise basic human rights. There is a limit to how far a government can go to control people. While Jintao spends time playing table tennis and dancing, the Tibetans are desperately trying to free themselves from China’s iron fist. Revolts and uprisings are common in Tibet. What else can a desperate country do? Passionate Tibetans light themselves on fire to protest China’s oppressive thumb. Self immolation is one of the main ways Tibetans protest Chinese rule. It is heartbreaking to watch a country so desperate for freedom struggle under a cruel dictatorship. Why does China want Tibet anyway? Many Tibetans have migrated to other parts of the world, especially countries like India, where their leader, the Dalai Lama, resides. Controlling Tibet will allow them to control the Tibetans outside of Tibet. Furthermore, if China were to give Tibet up, it would encourage other factions in China declare independence. Essentially, Tibet is nothing more than the poster country for oppression. The supporters of Chinese rule claim that China has instilled a sense of “civilization” into Tibet. How insulting. Tibet had a civilization that flourished until China arrived. Many Tibetans despise the Chinese for destroying their culture and tradition. Many say that China has brought various economic benefits to Tibet. In reality, the economic benefits are limited and the development’s infrastructure serves only to exploit the Tibetan people. Tibetans have lost everything: their leader, their country, their name. They have not, however, been stripped of their pride. Tibetans will continue to battle for their independence. It is wrong to suppress a group of people craving for freedom as much as the Tibetans have. People need to stand up to dictatorship. The International Campaign for Tibet and other organizations support the fight for Tibet’s freedom. The Tibetans cannot lose more than they already have.

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